Setting up Git

This guide is meant as a main resource to set up and use Git on your computer.

At the computer lab Git is already installed and can be accessed from the terminal. If you however are using your own computer, you should download and install Git. If you are using Ubuntu, all you have to do is to paste the following commands in a terminal:

sudo apt-get install git

(If you are using Mac or Windows, there are some great guides on how to set up Git (or install the GitHub app) over at GitHub; Mac OS X, Windows)

After installing, you need to set up your user and email so that it is easier to see what you have uploaded:

git config --global user.name "Your name"
git config --global user.email "yourmail@yourdomain.com"

The next thing you should do is to familiarize yourself with Git. We strongly recommend reading the book "Pro Git" which is freely available online. Chapters 1.3 and 2 should get you going. (If this triggers your curiosity you should also have a look at chapter 3).

In this years course we will require you to use Git and that you upload your code to either GitHub or Bitbucket. Both allow for both public and private repositories (projects), but GitHub requires a monthly fee for private repositories, while Bitbucket does not. The reason behind this is that we want you to use version control and it will be much easier for us to help you out debugging and access your source code after delivery using this type of approach. In addition, this is the way most people in the industry work with real code and we see this year's projects as a great chance to give you some training in the use of version control systems.

(If you don't want to use Git, you may use a different version control system, but please discuss this with one of the teachers first.)

By Svenn-Arne Dragly
Published Jan. 16, 2014 1:23 PM